By Chris McLaughlin
While the CCSU women’s basketball team has relied on its four seniors throughout the season, freshman point guard Jessica Babe has become a vital piece in Coach Beryl Piper’s game plan.
Brought in with high hopes, Babe was expected to not only bring depth to a position that lacked it, but to also take over that position one day. With Alexzandria Dowdy in her final season of eligibility, Coach Piper recruited Babe to eventually fill that void. Right from the start, Piper has been giving Babe the experience she will need to take over the role of floor general. In the first game of the season, Babe was put into the game in the final minute, and hit the dagger that put the game out of reach for Hartford University. Her play has not only earned the confidence of Piper, but also increased it for herself, as well.
“Having coach’s confidence to put me in those situations really allows me to feel more comfortable with myself,” said Babe. “Every time I step on the floor I have to have to have the mentality that I can’t let the coach take me out. If I don’t go in ready, I’m on a short leash as a freshman.”
Coming into school as a freshman with high expectations would be difficult for some; for Babe, it was the easy part. Being born and raised in Pennsylvania, Babe has also had to adjust to everything that comes with living in a new state. Though she fell in love with CCSU while visiting, adjusting to her new life was difficult at first.
“It hasn’t been easy, but after a while you have to deal with it not being that easy, and once I do that it started getting easier. It started to get fun and I really like my team and coaches, so that helps.”
Though she was brought in to eventually replace Dowdy, the time Babe has spent with her has been a major part of her development. The two of them constantly go at each other in practice, pushing each other to be better.
“We go at each other all the time in practice,” said Babe. “We’re both really competitive, and I think we make each other a lot better. She is so energetic and high spirited that it makes me want to try harder.”
In addition to using Babe as Dowdy’s back-up, Piper will also put them in the game together, with Babe as the two guard. This line-up has been used frequently by Piper, especially during crunch time. By playing them alongside each other, it allows Piper to go small, and focus on opposing guards without giving up anything on offense.
“We play her in the two guard which I think helps take the pressure off her as a freshman,” said Piper. “Using them together allows us to go small and it has been successful for us.”
Babe’s ability to play big has shown Piper that she will be able to handle the future, and left no doubt that she will excel in an increased role.
“We brought her in to be a starting point guard,” said Piper. “She’s already making things happen for us. She’s able to penetrate and make big shots like the one in her first game against Hartford. She already plays with a lot of confidence and she really plays fearless. She isn’t intimidated by anyone, so I have the confidence to put her in.”
With the success of the Blue Devils this season, Babe is able to enjoy playing for a winning team. Though the team is winning, Babe understands that it will take a lot more to win it all than to have a winning record.
“This year has been really fun,” said Babe. “Our chemistry is getting better and we’re picking it up at a good time. If we can keep it up I think we can win the championship. We are the only ones who can beat ourselves by taking ourselves out of the game, but if we stay focused we can beat anybody.”
With four major players in their final year, the development of Jessica Babe will be crucial to the success of the Blue Devils in the future. Players such as her and Kirsten Daamen will have much larger roles next season. Babe will also be joined next season by her sister Jaclyn Babe, who coach feels will help take some of the pressure off Babe. While the mentality for the Blue Devils is as it should be, NEC Championship or bust, players like Babe will help maintain that mentality in the future.